Chasing Dreams
by PaintedStarlight
Summary: Everyone's just chasing impossible dreams of things they want but won't receive. (F!Corrin x Joker angst)
Corrin dreamed about it often, of the day when she would be able to escape the never-ending torment that she called living within in the ominous walls of the North Fortress- _if_ you could even could whatever this was living. It was more like cycling boringly through each and every single day like a practiced routine, all robotic and without emotion.

Although, yes, seeing her beloved siblings every once and a while when they visited always was a pleasure, it was just a tiny but greatly held on to respite that quickly fleeted just as soon as it came.

When Corrin wasn't doing lessons with Gunter, practicing to polish her fighting skills with Xander, studying with Leo, being pampering by Camilla, or chatting it up with Elise in whatever small pockets of time Corrin could spend with her siblings, she was either desperately trying her hardest to keep sane or not cry. The awful North Fortress was dreadfully dull, dark, and so painfully boring that Corrin always did everything in her power to focus on anything than being trapped in that place. On top of it all, though, it was lonely mostly. The loneliness was the most heart-crippling of all the awful emotions she faced in the dark castle and it pricked at her eyes the most until she just couldn't take it anymore and cried to herself.

The worst of it, yes there's even more, was that the chambers of her private quarters would echo so there would be the illusion of another crying with her in the room. It would sound as though the walls wept for her dire misfortune as well, and it made the little princess feel all the more lonely.

But then there was Joker. At first somewhat estranged, but then given the chance, all of a sudden turned the most dedicated and loyal butler of them all... Not that she knew many to begin with, but she was certain Joker could have bested anyone in buttling.

Sure, he began as extremely clumsy when she'd taken him in so kindly, but after mistake after mistake after painful _mistake,_ with his extremely hard work (and some aid from Gunter himself) Joker became a fine butler. Not to mention a fine young man too.

There were a few others in the North Fortress too, like the twin maids Felicia and Flora, but they were nothing like friends to Corrin. Both girls were distant. Felicia, although she seemed nice enough, was too awkward for any desperate attempt at conversation Corrin would try to make-if she wasn't too busy trying to fix up her own messes, that was. And Flora... well, she was just cold. There was always this uneasiness Corrin felt around Flora, like a silent challenge or some kind of competition between her and Flora that she wasn't aware of. It was just something that the little princess could never quite pinpoint exactly.

Even with the addition of the twin's presences and Gunter, the North Fortress didn't feel any much less lonely at all, save for wonderful Joker. Although she still very much appreciated everyone's presence, Joker was definitely something most akin to a candle in the dark- _her_ candle in the dark. He was the closest thing to her friend (excluding Silas who drowned in forgotten memories), and someone she always trusted to rely on. He was the only single person in the world who was constantly by her side, day and night. She never had to wait for his visits like she waited for her siblings' because he was just _there._ She was so grateful to him for that, and it helped ease the heavy weight of loneliness on her heart.

"I wait on your every beck and call, Princess," he'd say. Other times he would switch it up and say "Milady".

She'd smile in response, glad with the reassurance of his company should she ever need ask, which was actually quite often. She so greatly enjoyed his company, and he loved indulging in her wishes even more.

"What do you think it's like out there, Joker?" Corrin asked one day, ruby eyes sparkling as she stared outside the window of a tower.

Joker allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he looked at her, amused at her mesmerized state when she daydreamed of life outside of the Fortress walls.

He knew she fantasized about a beautiful world that lay beyond, but he also knew that the world in actuality was much crueler than rainbows and butterflies. All Joker had ever known before serving Lady Corrin was that the people whose only ties to him were the blood in their bodies didn't care for him so they simply threw him away.

But he wanted to humor her, because he could never break his princess like the world had tried so hard to have broken him, so he answered, "I'm sure it's gorgeous, Princess."

Corrin turned around, sensing the teasing sarcasm in his voice and rolled her eyes. "I know you don't really think that. You probably think I'm chasing dreams in fantasizing about breaking away from this treacherous fortress." She let out a loud sigh as she cast her eyes downward, mood suddenly somber. "Truth is, I don't know if I'll ever leave here, as much as I wish it. Maybe this dream is impossible."

The last two sentences came out much quieter and meek, as though they were more secret thoughts that were said mostly to herself rather than to Joker. The princess's butler was at a lost to respond with his lady's sudden change in mood, but she quickly pepped back up again with a curious smile inlaid on her features.

"But enough about me, what about you Joker? You seem so jovial living in dreary place. Whenever I see you, you're nearly never without a smile."

Now this, he could answer for his lady. "Do not misunderstand, Princess. I could care less about this fortress. I have no attachment to these walls save that within them they hold the conversations I have with you-and _that_ I do care about. It's not so much this place as it is being here with you and serving you that make it so enjoyable. It's _you_ , Princess."

And with those words, the little princess couldn't help but smile, beaming at her precious butler. She didn't know why, but his words made her really happy. Maybe it was the fact that she platonically cared for him so much that hearing she made him happy too made her heart soar.

And it was true, that she cared for him like he cared for her, but she didn't just yet know the great magnitude of that depth. He cared for her _so much more_ , like she couldn't possibly understand, but he was okay with this one-sided love. In his mind, she was not just Princess but she was _his_ Princess, and as long as he could continue serving her he was going to be more than happy. Because just as much as the princess chased the maybe impossible dream of leaving the North Fortress, her butler chased the maybe impossible dream of being able to whisk her away and love her.


End file.
